Semi-weekly south Kentuckian., 1887-01-11
KELLY, 1Y.
JANUARY 1st, 1887.


Ed. SoUTn KENTUCKIAN
II has been SO long since / hav,
tried to write letter, that scarcely
know how TO commence. 1t is rea
wonder that | did not date my lettel
at The top 'S6 instead of 'S7 This re-
minds me that L had best now an
mounce to your many readers that
this is New Years day. How many
of those readers have turned over 8
new leafim life's history-have shak.
Ell off the follies and foibles OF the
past, and have resolved to do better
How many OF the men have resolved
to part with their tobacco, their tod
dies (by the keg now and their name
less agencies of sin, aud are going 10
try to be something in this world S
battle for fame and future? How
many boys are going to quit sticking
pins in the old mans easy chair, or
administering unnecessary physic
to the poor yaller perp that has inno-
Gently made himself too numerous in
a certain neighborhood? low many
women will abandon the habit of
wearing high hats at theatres, or
back biting John Jones wife because
she is about neck ahead in the way
of wearing the latest style cloak :? II
is time 10 wonder how many persons
will quit asking, ''iiave you saw
John Smith lately ?" or rs this cold
enough for you ?" rise TO ask who
will be the first to condemn the man
who sits Oh a goods box at the corner
and squirts tobacco juice at flies? /
honestly confess that love a 'chaw"
of "long green" as well as any other
man, but !; is bad thing 10 spit al
flies.
AS | sit by smouldering fire on
tits cheelle IS Jannf ry nigh-at night
as dreary MS Ills bitter cold-and the
pitiess voice of the past falls on my
heart as ice-cold waves on wind
sw pit shore, my thoughts run back
to the sunny days of my boyhood,
when first learned to follow after
the murmuring blue waters of the
brook, TO sit OH the banks of the
"lIorse Shoe Bend" aud idle away
aud ruin forever the best, purest,
holiest day of mans narrow span Of
life "chawing" "single sucker" and
splitting the Juice at flies.
Perhaps tile hardest thing for man
to avoid IN this life is the memory OF
things left undone that might have
been done; the recollection of oppor-
iunities neglected, passed by, lost
forever. 1t is hard to avoid taxation,
and death will come at some time in
life's history. II is hard, very hard,
sometimes TO avoid a country cOnsta-
BILE with a subpoena to serve, but ii
Is as equally hard TO escape the mem-
ory of what might have been.
How many men look back this
New Years night on the weaknesses
and follies and sins of past years +?
How many that once swung sore
toe across the glad sunlight of care
less bOyhood, or "chawed" "lone
green" on the banks of some native
stream, would give worlds TO have
their life to live over again that they
might do the very same thing. Nine
times out of ten that's Just what they
would do. But / didn't start ont to
look on the dark side OF liie's picture,
Charlie. Asthe past has nothing
very bright for most of us, and the
present has nothing to offer but pitt
less North winds and cold eXpanse of
January sky, let us resort TO that di-
vision of time TO which any man,
however so humble, can look with
hope-the future. Let us put our
and fOllies aud wrong-do-
ings and miseues and scratches all in
a row and remember them only to be
proflied blythe memory. Let us for
give all the men whom we owe, and
trust in God that they may And il in
their hearts to forgive us and credit
us again. If ever had aught against
any man who gave me credit, l rise,
cold as it is, on this New Years night
to forgive him, and may Heaven have
mercy on his soul, and may the little
angels up yonder guard him and
see after him generally, for
he needs help. No, ! wont count old
scores against any man. Ii | see a
young man, who, by his own energy,
is dragging himself up life's rugged
hill, If he has been wild and bad and
is sorry for II, will hold ont my
hand and say "come on.~ You sell
dom see man either all wrong or
all right. You seldom see either an
angel or devil In this earthly pill
grimage. Take man at what you
titd him, not at what people say he
is. Don't push him down but lift
MIN up. Give him crust if you've
got 1t and you'll be happier for II,
Roy.